Best Websites Like StubHub

StubHub.com is one of the world's largest secondary ticket marketplaces. For buyers, it's an easy and convenient way to get tickets without making a trip to a physical box office, and it's great for getting tickets to events that may be sold out anyway. All tickets are backed by guarantees, too. For sellers, it's an easy and fast way to get a bit of money out of tickets that they can't (or don't want to) use anymore. They can choose a convenient method of getting paid for their unwanted tickets, or even donate their proceeds to charity!

The main issue with StubHub is that virtually anybody can become a seller on StubHub, which presents two problems. First, sellers can list tickets for pretty much any price that they want, so you may have to do some shopping around to see if you're getting a good deal or not. Second, some tickets have to be delivered by email or courier service, possibly because the seller doesn't even have them yet; this cuts down on StubHub's reliability a bit, despite the guarantees to protect you.

1. SeatGeek

SeatGeek is one of the more interesting StubHub alternatives in that the tickets and prices that it lists are mainly from other online ticket vendors (like the ones in this list). In addition, its "DealScore" algorithm gives each ticket listing a rating based on its price versus its popularity and seat quality. This helps you to make sure that you're getting value for your money when you buy your tickets. SeatGeek has also recently introduced a system that lets users re-sell their tickets.

2. TicketNetwork

TicketNetwork is the parent company of Ticket Liquidator, so it operates in a similar manner. Unlike StubHub, only qualified and vetted sellers (from the U.S.) can operate on TicketNetwork, but that means that you'll usually get tickets reliably and at a good price. Like Ticket Liquidator, TicketNetwork is so confident that you'll have the right tickets at the right time that they'll refund you 200% (or more) if something doesn't go right.

3. Ticket Liquidator

Ticket Liquidator is a StubHub alternative that runs on a bit of a unique setup. As opposed to StubHub and other websites like it, Ticket Liquidator doesn't operate as a broker between you and ticket sellers. Instead, it provides ticket sellers with all of the tools necessary to directly connect with you and negotiate a ticket sale.

One of the downsides of this system is that it's tough to become a seller on Ticket Liquidator, as it comes with a stringent set of checks and balances. On the upside, though, as a buyer, Ticket Liquidator can often get you cheaper prices, and is fairly reliable. In fact, it's so confident that your tickets will be on time, valid, and correct that it will give you a 200% refund (or more) if something's not right!

4. eBay

eBay actually owns StubHub, but it can be used as an alternative to StubHub anyway, since it allows for the buying and selling of tickets (among other things). One reason that you might want to use eBay over StubHub is that you can bid on items in auctions, or submit price offers for them. This may mean that you are able to get your tickets at discounted prices, instead of having to pay the face value. However, you may not be able to get tickets electronically as frequently. This may mean that you have to wait for a seller to email them to you or send them to you by courier, which may be less reliable.

For a tour of how to use eBay to buy, bid for, or haggle over tickets and more, visit our eBay course!

5. Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster is one of the largest event ticket distributors in North America (if not the world), and is such one of the biggest StubHub competitors. It sells tickets made available directly by event venues, and so it avoids artificial mark-up from people looking to re-sell tickets to popular events (like they may do on StubHub). However, Ticketmaster has been criticized for adding its own large mark-ups to ticket prices through numerous selling fees.

6. Razorgator

Another ticket resale website like StubHub, Razorgator has a similar selling guarantee. Your tickets bought on Razorgator will always be on time, get you entry into the event, and will be the same or better as they were listed, or your money back. Razorgator takes your security very seriously, and is very upfront about how its website -- and the secondary ticket market in general -- works. This has earned it praise from the Better Business Bureau, as well as many news outlets.

7. Seatwave

Seatwave is a TicketMaster subsidiary and one of the most popular secondary ticket marketplaces in Europe. It's fairly reliable to buy from due to guarantees similar to those on StubHub and other websites like it. That is, your tickets will be on time for an event, valid for the event, and the same as (or better than) what you ordered, or else you will get replacement tickets or a refund. This guarantee also applies if your event is cancelled and not rescheduled.

8. TicketsNow

Another Ticketmaster sub-site, this competitor to StubHub relies on Ticketmaster's patented verification technology to make sure that your tickets are genuine. When you buy certain tickets from TicketsNow, they will verify the existing bar code for the ticket, and then replace it with a new bar code that is also valid. This system lets you be 100% sure that your tickets are legitimate. And, like other websites similar to StubHub, they will refund your money if your tickets are late, invalid, or significantly different than listed, or if the event that they are for is cancelled and not rescheduled.

9. Vivid Seats

Vivid Seats is another online secondary ticket marketplace that is similar to StubHub. Like Razorgator and StubHub, it has a very good reputation with both the ticket sale industry and buyers who have needed help from their customer service department. A recent study put it head-to-head with StubHub, and while Vivid Seats isn't quite as easy-to-use as StubHub, it has comparable buyer protection, and its prices tend to be a bit cheaper.

Have you used any of these websites like StubHub to buy tickets online? Did they get you into a great live event alright, or did you feel left out in the cold? Are there any other online ticket marketplaces like StubHub that you'd like to recommend to us and our users? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our social media pages.